


Stop Holding Back on Me

by BrittKate26



Category: Absentia (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25110391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrittKate26/pseuds/BrittKate26
Summary: After Emily has returned to the FBI after the events of season 2, her partner has a theory that she is holding back on him.
Relationships: Cal Issac and Emily Byrne
Kudos: 15





	Stop Holding Back on Me

Four weeks had finally come and gone and Emily couldn't be more thankful. Sure she enjoyed the time off she had to spend with her son, but she missed being active. There was nothing more that Emily hated then sitting back and doing nothing. Nothing was not the life for her. She had to be active, to move, to fight, to live, and mostly to feel.

After everything that Emily had been through she still struggled daily to make herself feel anything other then anger and rage.

Emily made her way into the gym. She smiled when she saw her partner.

"After everything you been through I am surprised you came back to this place."

"Didn't you miss me?" Emily asked.

"Come on." Cal said, as he grabbed her by the wrist and led her into the ring.

The two of them began slowly boxing each other. Cal studied Emily intently. Every move she made he noted. Every step, every swing. He could damn near sense what she was doing. Cal decided to up the game and test his theory. He stepped back on his left foot then swung harder then before. Emily dodged and moved back. And just as Cal had suspected, it was confirmed.

"Stop it." Cal said to Emily.

"Stop what?" Emily asked.

"Holding back. Stop it." He ordered.

"I am not." Emily replied.

"Bullshit. I have seen you go harder then this. Stop holding out on me."

"I am not." Emily said as she swung again. Cal blocked her with his arm and shoved back hard. Emily damn near hit the ground.

"Are too." He said as if he was making a point with that last move.

Emily smirked at her partner. She unstrapped her boxing gloves and threw them to them on the mat.

"You want me? You got it." Emily said.

Cal followed her moves and took his gloves off.

"Come on Byrne. Give it to me." Cal said as he encouraged his partner to move on him.

Emily moved in, and swung on her partner. She acted as if she was going to hit his face but moved to swing as his stomach. Cal knowing Emily the way he did was prepared for the move. So when Emily moved towards his stomach he grabbed her wrist and turned her so her back was against his chest. Her breathing was heavy, her mind racing. Was it because of the workout, or because of the way Cal held her. He had her arm pined behind her back between their bodies, the other one rested on her hip. Emily could feel the scurf from his beard as he deliberately whispered right in her ear "You are still holding out. Don't tell me you have gone soft on me now Byrne."

When he let go of Emily she was pissed he could see it in her eyes. This was the exact reaction he was wanting from her. Emily always did her best when she was filled with anger. Anger was a hell of a motivation for her lately, well either that or revenge seem to be pretty popular too.

Emily charged Cal this time with out thinking through her next move. She pushed him back against the ring, and when she had him pinned, she moved her left foot behind his right and brought him to the ground. She laughed. Cal smirked and reached up to where Emily was still standing above him. He wrapped his arms around the back of her legs and pressed his thumbs into the back of her knees and instantly brought her down on top of him.

She sat there on top of him not moving. Cal reached out and traced her jawline with his fingertips. Emily closed her eyes at the feel of his fingers against her already heated skin. "I did bye the way."

"You did what?" Emily questioned opening her eyes and trying to refocus on whatever it was she was supposed to be doing before.

"Miss you."

Emily opened her mouth just about to say something when they were interrupted. "Byrne, Issac you are needed." The other agent informed them both. Emily smirked and stood up off from her current position on her partner.

"Come on." Emily said as she offered her hand to him.

He grabbed her hand allowing her to pull him to his feet. When he did they were so close she could feel his breath on her face. "This aint done." Cal said.

"Far from it." Emily responded.

Most of the day had passed rather uneventful. Yes they had a new case but is wasn't anything to exciting and for once it had nothing to with her or someone she knew. When her first day back was over she couldn't get home fast enough. Her body ached, was it from her work out in the ring with Cal, all the stress she had been carrying for months, or could it have been something else entirely?

Emily sighed as she made her way to the kitchen to pour her a drink. Just as the first drops of vodka had reached her lips there was a knock at the door. Emily rolled her eyes to herself not expecting anyone tonight. To be honest she was not in the mood for her brother's shit tonight. She was still pissed with him about his Alice bullshit.

"Em its Cal." He said.

Emily smiled as she made her way to the door.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone. Honestly thought you were Jack." Emily replied.

"Still mad with him?" Cal asked.

"Yep."

Emily turned back to the kitchen, "Want a drink?" She offered to her partner.

"Sure." Cal took his jacket off and threw it on the back of the near by chair, then followed Emily into her tiny kitchen. Cal noticed the way Emily was moving, he could tell something was off about it. Emily opened the cabinet and reached up standing on her toes to retrieve another cup for Cal. Quickly she jerked her arm back down.

"What's wrong?" Cal said. He stood behind Emily. One hand resting on her side as he reached out and grabbed the cup she had been after in the first place.

"Nothing." Emily responded.

"That sure was a funny looking nothing."

"It's fine just sore that is all."

"What happened?"

"Nothing damn." Emily snapped.

Cal reached out and pushed on Emily's side. "Fuck." She hissed.

"Nothing uh?"

"I hate you sometimes."

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"That suspect from earlier today."

"The one you chased down the ally after I told you to wait for me?" He asked.

"Yes smart ass that one. Anyways, he got a knee in my ribs. Nothing life threatening ok." Emily explained.

"Let me see." Cal said.

"Why?"

"To see if they are broken."

"Fine." Emily said. She stood up from the chair and pulled her tank top over her head. Cal was speechless.

"Well.." Emily said.

Cal reached out to the bruise that was already starting to form on her otherwise perfect skin. "Hold your breath." He said the pushed down on her ribs.

"They are not broken. Just bruised." He informed her. He let his hand linger on her hip. And his fingers just kept tracing meaningless patterns on her ribs. Emily didn't say nothing, she couldn't. She was afraid if she spoke that everything she has been holding back would come rushing out of her mouth, and then she would never be able to take it back. Cal must have sensed her change in breathing, or heart rate, or maybe she said something who knows. He looked up at the exact moment she was looking at him and their eyes met.

It was like he could read her mind as well as he could read her moves in the ring earlier. Every unspoken word she wanted to speak but was to afraid to say, every truth she tried so hard to hide from him, from herself was suddenly no secret. Cal stood up from his spot on the chair and wrapped his arms fully around her waist.

For a moment it was like time stopped and nothing else was real outside of them. Outside of this. They came together in sweet yet passionate kiss. Everything she wanted to say, everything that had been on the tip of her tongue for weeks was revealed. She whimpered in need. Needing to be close to him. Needing to feel him. Cal reminded her that there was still good in this world, and he made Emily feels things she thought she would never feel again.

How was it even possible that with one touch he made her feel what she has been missing for years? Emily pulled away only when the need to breathe became an issue. Not a word was shared between the two of them as Emily led him to her bed. Cal watched her mesmerized by this amazing woman. Cal ran his hands over her bare back and didn't flinch when they ran across the jagged edges of the scars that she now carried with her.

Emily searched his eyes for any look of concern or pity but none was ever found. Emily looked down at her feet as Cal removed the rest of her clothes. Emily had never been self conscious about herself before, but all these scars from being tortured, stabbed and shot were really starting to take a toll on the way she felt about herself.

Cal knew her, and he knew Emily well. With two fingers Cal gently lifted her chin to make her look at him once again.

"Hey. Look at me."

Emily did as he asked and their eyes met once again.

"You're beautiful. Don't ever be ashamed of your scars."

"How can you say that?" She asked.

"These scars made you who you are. Made you the woman I know. The one I love." Cal admitted.

Emily wanted to say something, anything, but her breath caught in her throat at his words.

"Its ok.

Cal pulled her into him making her body mold against his. Emily loved the way it felt being in his arms. Something about this made her feel safe. Whenever she was afraid, or on the edge of a breakdown he was always the one that could get through to her. He was her solid ground.

They fell onto the bed together, their limbs a tangled mess. Their breaths mingled together as one. Emily bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as her extremely talented partner was driving her to the edge of sweet release.

Cal leaned down whispering directly into Emily's ear "Stop holding back. Let go. I've got you."

Instantly Emily came undone by his words, her body quivered beneath him. Cal kissed her forehead as she came down from her high.

Hours later Emily lay with her head on Cal's chest as he drew random patterns across her spine.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yes. Cal I.."

"Its ok you don't have to say it now. I know. And I'm not going anywhere." Cal picked up her hand a placed a gentle kiss on it.

"I love you." Emily said suddenly before she lost the nerve to let the words go she had been holding onto for sometime now.

"I knew you had it in you." Cal replied.

The sun invaded the room rudely as the start of another day was upon them. Emily opened her eyes to find that she had slept through the night. For the first time since her return Emily didn't have nightmares. Emily was at peace.

Emily always thought life was unfair until now. Cal was right. Everything that happened to her. Every scar she carried, every lose, everything was meant to happen just the way it did. Everything brought her here to this moment. To the moment when she found love, when she found safety, when she found herself again. They say it is only after we lose ourselves can we ever find out who we are meant to be.

Emily sat up pulling the sheets around her body. For the first time in a long time it dawned on her that she was happy.


End file.
